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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — to come down
  4. bass — low music
  5. land — ground
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. land — a country
  8. lean — to bend
  9. key — in music
  10. rest — a break
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — thin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com